Oxyntomodulin (OXM) is a 37aa peptide secreted by intestinal L cells into the bloodstream upon food ingestion and induces satiety in the brain. OXM is also a dual GPL-1/Glucagon receptor agonist. It is involved in food intake regulation and was shown to inhibit food intake and reduce body weight in both rodents and humans. However, OXM has a relatively very short half-life and repeated daily administrations of supraphysiological doses are required in order to achieve pharmacological effect in humans. Hence, there is a necessity for extending the serum half-life of OXM to make it latter more amenable for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes in animal and human subjects.
The present invention makes use of peptide-based technology for extending serum half-life of proteins and peptides, in particular, OXM. This technology is based on a natural peptide, the C-terminal peptide (CTP) of the beta chain of hCG.